Bangalore:: Karnataka Minister Offers to Quit over Recruitment Scandal 

Bangalore, Sep 12 (IANS) Karnataka Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda has offered to quit over alleged irregularities in recruitment of over 350 non-medical staff to two government run-colleges, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party sources said late Saturday.

"He has informed the chief minister (B.S. Yeddyurappa) that he will quit but have no information whether he has already sent in his resignation letter," the sources said. 

Gowda was under pressure to quit after Yeddyurappa Aug 26 cancelled the appointments made in the Mysore and Hassan Medical Colleges and hospitals attached to them in spite of his minister denying any irregularity in the recruitment. 

Yedyurappa's decision to scrap the appointments of lab technicians, nurses and other non-medical staff was based on a probe report by secretary of medical education department I.M. Vittala Murthy. 

The Chief Minister has instituted another probe by the state's Additional Chief Secretary Abhijit Dasgupta. 

The sacked employees have been on protest since then and several of them have filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court challenging their retrenchment. 

The court had pulled up Gowda over the issue and expressed displeasure over his reply to the notice by it seeking detailed information on the recruitment process. 

Yeddyurappa is to leave for China late Saturday leading a delegation of senior officials and prominent industrialists and businessmen to attend the World Economic Forum meeting in Shanghai. He is to return Sep 15. 

"It is quite possible that Gowda may be relieved of his position Sunday as voting is to take place Monday in the two assembly by polls in Kadur in Chikmagalur district and Gulbarga South in Gulbarga district," the sources said. 

"Our information is that Gowda has offered to quit to save the party from embarrassment in the light of the chief minister canceling the appointments and the high court's displeasure over his conduct in the matter," the sources said. 

Winning the Kadur seat, held by Congress, and retaining Gulbarga South has become a prestigious issue for Yeddyurappa who has been facing flak over illegal mining, the recruitment scandal and his party legislators making statements embarrassing him. 

One such statement was from Prahlad Remani, member of the assembly from Khanapur in Belguam district, about 500 km from here, on Independence Day that Christians must be weeded out as they were indulging in conversion. 

Yeddyurappa faced further loss of face when Remani refused to apologise despite a warning from him